[Intro: Kanye West & Chaka Khan]
(Through the test of time)
Yo, Gee, they can't stop me from rappin', can they?
Can they, Hop?
[Chorus: Chaka Khan]
Through the fire, to the limit, to the wall
For a chance to be with you, I'd gladly risk it all
Through the fire, through whatever, come what may
For a chance at loving you, I'd take it all the way
Right down to the wire, even through the fire
[Post-Chorus: Kanye West]
I spit it through the wire, man
There's too much stuff on my heart right now, man
I'd gladly risk it all right now
It's a life-or-death situation, man
Y'all, y'all don't really understand how I feel right now, man
It's your boy, Kanye To The…
Chi-Town, what's goin' on?
Uh-huh, yeah, yeah
[Verse 1: Kanye West]
I drink a Boost for breakfast, an Ensure for dessert
Somebody order pancakes, I'll just sip the sizzurp
That right there could drive a sane man berserk
Not to worry, Mr. H-to-the-izz-O’s back to w-izz-ork
How do you console my mom, or give her light support
Tellin' her her son's on life support?
And just imagine how my girl feel
On the plane scared as hell that her guy look like Emmett Till
She was with me before the deal, she'd been tryna be mine
She a Delta, so she been throwin' that Dynasty sign
No use in me tryna be lyin', I've been tryna be signed
Tryin' to be a millionaire; ha–I used two lifelines
In the same hospital where Biggie Smalls died
The doctor said I had blood clots, but I ain't Jamaican, man
Story on MTV and I ain't tryna make Da Band
I swear, this, right here, history in the makin', man
[Chorus: Chaka Khan]
Through the fire, to the limit, to the wall
For a chance to be with you, I'd gladly risk it all
Through the fire, through whatever, come what may
For a chance at loving you, I'd take it all the way
Right down to the wire, even through the fire
[Post-Chorus: Kanye West]
I really apologize to everyone right now
If it's unclear at all, man
They got my mouth wired shut
For like… I dunno, the doctor said, like, six weeks
Y'know, he had–I had reconstructive surgery on my jaw
I looked in the mirror–half my jaw was in the back of my mouth, man
I couldn't believe it
But I'm still here for y'all right now, man
This what I got to say right here, dawg
Yeah, turn me up, yeah, uh
[Verse 2: Kanye West]
What if somebody from the Chi' that was ill got a deal
On the hottest rap label around?
But he wasn't talkin' 'bout coke and birds,
It was more like spoken word, 'cept he's really puttin' it down?
And he explained the story 'bout how Blacks came from glory
And what we need to do in the game
Good dude, bad night, right place, wrong time
In the blink of a eye, his whole life changed
If you could feel how my face felt,
You would know how Mase felt (Mason Betha!)
Thank God I ain't too cool for the safe belt
I swear to God, driver two wanna sue
I got a lawyer for the case, to keep what's in my safe–safe
My dawgs couldn't tell if I…
I looked like Tom Cruise in Vanilla Sky, it was televised
"There's been an accident," like GEICO
They thought I was burnt up like Pepsi did Michael
I must got a angel, 'cause look how death missed his ass
Unbreakable, what you thought, they call me Mr. Glass?
Look back on my life like the Ghost of Christmas Past (Uh-huh)
Toys "R" Us where I used to spend that Christmas cash
And I still won't grow up, I'm a grown-ass kid
Swear I should be locked up for stupid [shit] that I did
But I'm a champion, so I turned tragedy to triumph (Uh-huh! Yeah!)
Make music that's fire, spit my soul through the wire (Woo!)
[Chorus: Chaka Khan]
Through the fire, to the limit, to the wall
For a chance to be with you, I'd gladly risk it all
Through the fire, through whatever, come what may
For a chance at loving you, I'd take it all the way
Right down to the wire, even through the fire
[Post-Chorus: Kanye West]
Y'know what I'm sayin'?
When the doctor told me I had to, um...
I was gonna have to have a plate in my chin...
I said, "Dawg, don't you realize I'll never make it on a plane now?
It's bad enough I got all this jewelry on!"
She can't be serious, man
[Outro: Chaka Khan]
–to the limit
Through the fire, through whatever
Through the fire, to the limit
Through the fire, through whatever
Through the fire...